1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates generally to electrosurgical instruments and, more particularly, to an electrosurgical pencil having an integral manual aspirator/irrigator. The present disclosure is also directed to methods of using the electrosurgical pencils disclosed herein.
2. Background of Related Art
Electrosurgical instruments have become widely used by surgeons in recent years. Accordingly, a need has developed for equipment and instruments which are easy to handle, are reliable and are safe in an operating environment. By and large, most electrosurgical instruments are hand-held instruments, e.g., an electrosurgical pencil, which transfer radio-frequency (RF) electrical energy to a tissue site. The electrosurgical energy is returned to the electrosurgical source via a return electrode pad positioned under a patient (i.e., a monopolar system configuration) or a smaller return electrode positionable in bodily contact with or immediately adjacent to the surgical site (i.e., a bipolar system configuration). The waveforms produced by the RF source yield a predetermined electrosurgical effect known generally as electrosurgical fulguration.
In particular, electrosurgical fulguration includes the application of electric spark to biological tissue, for example, human flesh or the tissue of internal organs, without significant cutting. The spark is produced by bursts of radio-frequency electrical energy generated from an appropriate electrosurgical generator. Generally, fulguration is used to coagulate, cut or blend body tissue. Coagulation is defined as a process of desiccating tissue wherein the tissue cells are ruptured and dehydrated/dried. Electrosurgical cutting, on the other hand, includes applying an electrical spark to tissue in order to produce a cutting or dividing effect. Blending includes the function of cutting combined with the production of a hemostasis effect.
As used herein the term “electrosurgical pencil” is intended to include instruments which have a handpiece which is attached to an active electrode and which is used to cauterize, coagulate, blend and/or cut tissue. Typically, the electrosurgical pencil may be operated by a handswitch or a foot switch. The active electrode is an electrically conducting element which is usually elongated and may be in the form of a thin flat blade with a pointed or rounded distal end. Alternatively, the active electrode may include an elongated narrow cylindrical needle which is solid or hollow with a flat, rounded, pointed or slanted distal end. Typically electrodes of this sort are known in the art as “blade”, “loop” or “snare”, “needle” or “ball” electrodes.
As mentioned above, the handpiece of the electrosurgical pencil is connected to a suitable electrosurgical energy source (e.g., generator) which produces the radio-frequency electrical energy necessary for the operation of the electrosurgical pencil. In general, when an operation is performed on a patient with an electrosurgical pencil, electrical energy from the electrosurgical generator is conducted through the active electrode to the tissue at the site of the operation and then through the patient to a return electrode. The return electrode is typically placed at a convenient place on the patient's body and is attached to the generator by a conductive material.
During surgery, these electrosurgical instruments generally produce a plume (typically of smoke) when organic material (e.g., the tissue of the patient) is being vaporized. The plume created by the vaporization of the organic material is offensive in the operating room and especially if inhaled.
In the typical technique, the plume is aspirated by a conventional suction tube being held near the site of the electrosurgical procedure by an assistant. Unfortunately, this method inefficiently requires the full time attention of the assistant and the placement of the often bulky suction tube in the operative field of the surgeon thus obstructing the surgeon's view. Additionally, these suction tubes typically operate on a continuous basis and create substantial noise levels during surgery thus potentially interfering with normal operating room dialogue.
Accordingly, electrosurgical instruments including integrated systems for aspirating the plume produced by the electrosurgical instruments during the electrosurgical procedures as well as for aspirating excess blood of bodily fluids prior to coagulating the remaining vessels have been developed. For example, electrosurgical instruments have been developed which include an aspirating system including a suction tube having at least one suction opening disposed in close proximity to the electrocautery tip (e.g., a blade, loop, etc.) a proximal end which is in fluid communication with a remote source of vacuum. In order to reduce the potential of the suction tube from becoming tangled or interfering with the movement of the operating staff around the operating room, the source of vacuum is place close to the operative site thus keeping the suction tube shorter. As a result, the noise from the source of vacuum is also closer to the operative site and thus continues to potentially interfere with the normal operating room dialogue.
It is an object of the present disclosure to provide an electrosurgical pencil including a manual aspirator/irrigator.
It is another object of the present disclosure to provide an electrosurgical instrument including a self-contained manual aspirator/irrigator.
It is a further object of the present disclosure to provide an electrosurgical instrument having a manual aspirator/irrigator which effectively removes a plume created during surgical procedures and which effectively delivers a fluid during the surgical procedures.
It is still a further object of the present disclosure to provide an electrosurgical instrument having a manual aspirator/irrigator which can deliver a quantity of irrigating solution and/or medicament during the surgical procedure.
These and other objects will be more clearly illustrated below by the description of the drawings and the detailed description of the preferred embodiments.